Magnetic attachment for socket wrenches



Jan. 19, 1965 c. A. GOOLEY ETAL 3,165,950

MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT FOR SOCKET WRENCHES Filed Feb. '2, 1962 l/VVEN T02 S.

Quenvcs .4. GOOLEY RONALD C. GcoLsv JZMEs E. GooLEY WILLIAM H. 600w) ATTYS.

United. States Patent 3,165,959 MAGNETIC ATTACHMENT FOR SOCKET WRENQIES Clarence A. Gooley, Ronald E. Gooley, James E. Gooley, and William H. Gooley, all of Harrington, Wash. Filed Feb. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 170,645 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-125) This invention relates to a novel magnet attachment for socket wrenches designed to aid in the manipulation of a socket while handling loose objects such as bolts or nuts. This disclosure is a continuation in part of our application, Ser. No. 130,551, filed August 10, 1961, and now abandoned.

The common use of sockets to rotate objects such as the polygonal ends of bolts or nuts poses a problem in the handling of the object which is normally recessed within the socket. It is often desirable to insure the positioning of the object within the socket so that the loose nut or bolt may be properly aligned Without the user actually holding the object. In order to utilize the present sockets in this manner the present invention provides a magnetic insert which may be used in existing socket apertures. When placed Within a socket, the magnet attachment serves to grip the bolt or nut being rotated by the socket. The magnet is easily insertable and may also be removed when not desired.

It is the first object of this invention to provide a novel means of insuring magnetic contact of an object being rotated by a conventional socket.

Another object of this invention is to provide a magnet attachment for sockets which is simple to manufacture and which is useful over a long period despite insertion and removal from sockets.

These and other objects will be evident from a study of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred form of the invention. This form is intended as an example of the invention but is not intended to limit or restrict the invention except as it is defined in the annexed claim.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a magnet attachment;

FIGURE 2 is a top View of the attachment illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical section View taken through line 2-2 in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section view taken through a typical socket assembly, showing the attachment as used;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view looking toward the socket aperture of a socket provided with an attachment made according to this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a side view of a second form of the invention;

FIGURE 7 is a top view of the form shown in FIGURE 6; and

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 in FIGURE 7.

The present invention contemplates a magnet attachment which is to be inserted within a conventional socket 10. The socket 10 is shown in section in FIGURE 4, and includes a polygonal aperture 11 centered axially on the socket 10. The opposite end of the socket 10 is provided with a square aperture 12 which normally receives a shank 14 of a suitable manual tool used to rotate the socket 110 about its central axis. The end of the polygonal aperture 11 is defined by a shoulder 13 which comes inwardly to a cylindrical aperture 28. Thus the socket 10 is apertured throughout its length and is provided with apertures of varying diameters. It is to be noted that the polygonal aperture 11 within which objects are gripped for rotatable Patented Jan. 19, 1965 engagement by the socket 10, has a varying diameter. For purposes of this description, We shall be concerned only with the minimum diameter of the aperture 11. This minimum diameter is the distance between the high points of the surface configuration of aperture 11 taken through the central axis of socket 10.

The attachment formed according to this invention comprises a cylindrical disk 15, machined or cast from suitable magnetic material. Due to the nature of this application, sintered metal castings are extremely useful. The disk 15 is therefore a permanent magnet having a pair of axially spaced plane surfaces 16. Disk 15 has four radial projections 22, which are provided with an annular groove 17 extending about their centers. The outside diameter or disk 15 is preferably slightly less than the minimum interior diameter of the aperture 11. Mounted within the groove 17 is a split ring 18, preferably formed of spring metal. The ring 18 may alternately be made of any suitable resilient material. The inside diameter of the ring 13 must be slightly greater than the outside diameter of disk 15. The outside diameter of ring 18 must be greater than the minimum interior diameter of aperture 11, when the ring 18 is in its neutral state. The clearance between the ends of the ring 18, when unflexed or in its natural state, must be sufiicient to allow the ring 18 to compress to the minimum diameter of aperture 11.

The use of this attachment is illustrated best in FIG- URE 4. The disk 15 is merely pushed axially within the aperture 11, thereby causing rings 18 to compress within the confines of the annular groove 17. The frictional engagement of the ring 18 serves to axially lock the disk 15 relative to socket 10. The disk 15 is preferably pushed into the aperture 11 until one surface 16 thereof abuts the shoulder 13 of the socket 10. The magnetic nature of the disk 15 then enables a person using the socket 10 to hold a bolt head 20 in a fixed position relative to socket 10, while the threaded shank 21 of the bolt is threaded where desired.

In FIGURES 6, 7 and 8 is shown a second form of the invention. In this instance a simple disk 24 is utilized, having no external projections. The disk 24 includes plane surfaces 25. It includes an annular groove 26 about its central circumference. The disk 24 and groove 26 may be machined or cast from suitable magnetic material.

Located within the groove 26 is a split ring 27 of suitable spring material. The ring 27 is designed to grip the minimum diameter of the sockets within which disk 24 is to be used. The usage of disk 24 is identical to that described above with respect to disk 15.

The disk 24, illustrated in the drawings, is provided with a cylindrical central aperture 19, having a diameter great enough to freely receive the shank of bolts which would be used in conjunction with the socket 10. The object of aperture 19 is to receive protruding bolts during the positioning of nuts thereon. The provision of an aperture such as 19 lessens the total magnetic attraction of the disk 15 and is not desirable under all conditions. The aperture 19 is therefore desireable only where such clearance is necessary.

The preferred form of the invention (FIGURES 1-5) has projections 22 which require that groove 17 be machined through only a small amount of the hard metallic material, as compared to the circumferential groove 26 shown in FIGURES 6-8. The use of four equi-angular projections 22 insures three point contact with ring 18, regardless of the angular position of its split ends. Thus complete resilient contact of ring 18 is assured within the socket 10.

It should be obvious from a study of the above description that minor modifications are possible without deviating from the basic concept of the invention. The invention contemplates a positive frictional engagement between the socket 10 and and the attachment including a magnetic disk. This frictional engagement is provided without deformation of any parts of the attachment. Thus the disk 15 may be removed by pushing it out by means of a pin inserted through the square aperture 12. The disk 15 may then be utilized on other sockets Without damaging the disk 15 or any associated elements. The attachment is easily removed and easily inserted when desired. Since modifications may occur to those skilled in this field, only the following claim is intended to define our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

A magnetic insert adapted for use in a socket having an axial aperture adapted to rotatably grip an object, comprising:

a cylindrical disk of magnetic material having an outside diameter slightly less than the minimum interior diameter of the socket aperture; 7

a groove formed about the circumference of said disk intermediate its axial ends;

and a resilient ring mounted in said groove, the outside diameter of said ring being greater than the minimum interior diameter of the socket aperture whereby said ring may be compressed radially within said groove when inserted in the aperture of a socket;

said disc being provided with a plurality of radial projections extended outwardly about its circumference and adapted to be received within a socket recess, said projections being grooves so as to mount said ring therein.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,572,770 2/26 Colley. 1,776,646 9/30 Wilson 287126 X 2,551,553 5/51 Wahl 81125 2,704,681 3/55 Fischer. 2,806,396 9/57 Miller 81125 FOREIGN PATENTS 818,530 8/59 Great Britain.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. 

